When I was a freshman in college, on of my besties from the dorm introduced me to her friend, Sean. I met this teddy bear of a human being who had so much enthusiasm and excitement for life. I've not spent a lot of time with this person in the last 10 years or so, but what time I did spend left a very positive impression. He was always smiling. My friend and Sean dated for some time, and that meant I would go on trips with her to his parent's house or to Dallas or Ft. Worth to meet up with him and some friends. I'll never forget that Sean took us to eat some of the best TexMex I ever ate in his hometown of Waxahachie.

Sean is now married to the lovely Sarah, who I've not had the pleasure of meeting, but have enjoyed getting to know her through his Facebook feed. He owns a t-shirt printing company that prints garments and other things for churches, schools, and other organizations in the Dallas area. Another person in Sean's life who I've come to know through FB is his gorgeous daughter, Emma. You can look at that 3 year old's face and basically see that she shares the same enthusiasm and excitement that Sean has always possessed. Which brings me to the sad news. Emma was diagnosed with Leukemia this week. Lots of us have been keeping up with Sean's status updates as they've been going through the testing and trials and when that diagnosis was made public, my heart sank.

She started her first round of chemo last night and is doing "awesome." She never stops smiling, according to her parents. There is something to be learned there. If you have an extra $20 laying around on your dresser and aren't sure you want to spend it at Buffalo Wild Wings or on something more, let me encourage you to make a donation in this little girl's honor. They are going to need help with medical bills and other expenses. Or, think outside the box. Do you need tshirts?Place an order through 4 Story Graphics. To support them emotionally is also greatly appreciated. Say a prayer. Think a positive thought. Send positive energy. Meditate on healing thoughts. Send a card.

Here's their story so far:

"Emma came down with a bad stomach virus. After she had somewhat recovered from that she came down with an unknown virus. While we were fighting this virus she broke into a full body rash. We were preparing for a Christmas vacation at the end of December and were getting ready. On December 13th she began to have fever and trouble swallowing. We took her in for antibiotics and a booster injection. On December 15th she began to have swelling on her lymph node. We took her into the emergency room at Children's Medical Center of Dallas and were sent home with a 10 day antibiotic. It never really did anything so on January 4th we brought her back and were immediately admitted for three days. While they were trying to treat her lymph node through IV (which had to be replaced 7 times in 7 days) they found out she had no neutrophils (white blood cells which fight infection). So she underwent many treatments and after a bone marrow biopsy they found out she has Precursor B Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. She has had a port put in, a spinal tap and a second bone marrow biopsy. We know God has a plan for our little girl and refuse to allow anything to take away from our Lord receiving full glory for her healing.

She loves the color pink and anything to do with Disney princesses. She loves breakfast food and anything that comes from a chicken. She always has some Disney movie playing or music from any of those movies. She loves her action bible that her Aunt Sarah bought her and loves to dance every chance she gets.

Our daughter has truly shown us how to look past current troubles and find joy in the small blessings God has given us. She is only 3 years old and she has been through more in a week than most people experience in a lifetime, and yet she smiles without ceasing. Thank you so much for your prayers and thoughts. God bless!

Emma was born October 18, 2008. She has been a purely healthy child and has never been sick except for the occasional stuffy nose until the beginning of November."

I believe that miracles happen every day. I believe in the kindness of strangers. I believe in paying it forward. I believe in helping those around you when they need it most. I believe in healing. I believe in everyday kindness.